Pii: S0144-8617(98)00071-x

Crude cellulases, cellobiohydrolase I and endoglucanase I from Trichoderma reesei, were used for preliminary analysis of the potential of cellulases for oligosaccharide synthesis. The reaction products were analysed by ionic chromatography. Synthesis activity could be detected in concentrated aqueous solutions of glucose, cellobiose, maltose and raffinose. CBH I and EG I showed similar activity, with the exception of the case where cellobiose was the substrate. In this case, CBH I originated more oligosaccharides and in higher yields. For the best case among the studied experimental conditions (enzyme: CBH I; substrate: cellubiose; temperature: 48C), yields in the order of 40% oligosaccharides were obtained. The effect of the temperature on the reaction yield and kinetics was also studied. q 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.